Patrick Nienaber
Transpersonal Psychology · Psychedelic Research

Qualitative research on microdosing and veteran trauma recovery.

Patrick Nienaber is a combat veteran and doctoral researcher studying microdosing as support for post-traumatic stress in veterans.

DOCTORAL CANDIDATE · CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES
PAT TILLMAN SCHOLAR · 2023
U.S. ARMY COMBAT VETERAN · OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM

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Current Research

The dissertation

A Soldier's Journey Home: A Triangulated Qualitative Study of the Effects of Micro-Dosing LSD on PTSD Among U.S. Combat Veterans

A qualitative study pairing veteran interviews with observations from the people who know them best, examining how sub-perceptual LSD use intersects with post-traumatic stress in daily life. Conducted at the California Institute of Integral Studies; chaired by Dr. Jenny Wade, with Dr. Stanley Krippner and Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley.

EXPECTED 2027 · TRIANGULATED QUALITATIVE INQUIRY · CIIS
Method

Why three vantage points

VETERAN OBSERVER RESEARCHER
FIG. — THE POSITION FIX

Self-report alone can drift. The study triangulates each veteran's account with a friendly observer — a spouse, sibling, or close friend who sees what daily life actually looks like — and the researcher's structured analysis. Three bearings converge on what is really changing.

Publications

The written record

Peer-reviewed publications from the dissertation research are forthcoming. Conference presentations and preprints will appear here as they become available.

Field Notes

Field notes

Term-scoped annotated bibliographies — one subject at a time, read closely. Volume I, LSD & Trauma/PTSD, is building now.

All Field Notes →

Beyond the Research

Closer to the ground

Darkroom

Photography

A long-running photographic practice — the same discipline of careful observation, pointed somewhere quieter.

View the gallery →

Greenhouse

The Backyard Apothecary

A greenhouse of repurposed windows, a food forest, and graduate training in herbal medicine.

Apothecary

Foundation Labs

A curated wellness boutique — small-batch spagyric herbal extractions and practitioner-grade supplements.

foundationlabs.us →

Contact

Reach out

For research collaboration, speaking, or press: research@psychedelicvets.com